Arkansas Medical Waste Requirements

A peek at the regulations and requirements for medical waste disposal in the state of Arkansas.

Arkansas’ medical waste disposal regulations and requirements are managed by the Arkansas Department of Health. The basic premise of these regulations are the same as anywhere else: the state says that medical waste shall be managed in a way that prevents the spread of disease.

Many of the state’s regulations are similar to others in terms of packaging, labeling, storage, and transport of medical waste.

Highlights include:

  • Contaminated sharps shall be packaged for reprocessing at the site of generation in containers that are leak resistant on the bottom and sides, rigid, closable, and puncture resistant.
  • Warning labels shall be affixed to all bags and containers used for medical waste or affixed as close as feasible to the container by string, wire, adhesive, or other method that prevents their loss or unintentional removal.
  • When medical waste leaves the facility where it was generated, the name and address of the generator must clearly be marked on the outside of the container.
  • Storage time within the generating facility shall not exceed thirty (30) days once the container has been filled and closed.

According to Arkansas state code, untreated medical waste cannot be disposed of in a landfill. Treated medical waste may be disposed of in a permitted sanitary landfill in accordance with the Solid Waste Management Code.

Approved treatment methods for medical waste include incineration, sterilization technologies such as steam autoclaving, and thermal inactivation.

On both the federal and local level, there are multiple agencies that regulate medical waste disposal, making medical waste disposal guidelines a bit daunting to decipher. Most medical waste generators choose to hire a compliant medical waste disposal company to take care of the complicated disposal process.

Disposal companies such as Red Bags have the time and the knowledge to handle your medical waste with complete consideration and attentiveness, allowing you and your employees to spend more time on what matters most—keeping your communities healthy.

Arkansas Medical Waste

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